Ready to build a 4mil+/day GPU monster cruncher?

[John P. Myers]

If so, Newegg finally got some more MSI Big Bang Marshal mobos in stock http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130595&nm_mc=BAC-GDR&cm_mmc=BAC-GDR-_-dyn-_-NA-_-NA&gclid=CLXyyqfRi7ICFUuQ7Qoduh8Adw Cheaper than what i paid for mine.

Note: The best CPU this board can handle is the i7-2700K. No Ivy Bridge on this board.

Put 8 of these (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131463) in it and rule the world!

:D

[Mike029]

Now that is what I'm talkin'bout!! JPM is back!!! \m/
Don't make me have to build something to smash the new Silver Hammer. :p Hmm, perhaps a new "vs" thread may be in order? 8-}

Building a 4 mi. cruncher is going to be easier and cheaper than ever. I believe three 7970 will get you over 4 mil on Dirt.

$380. for the MB
$320 for the I7 3770k
$1185 (395x3 after $25. $25 off w/ promo code HIS797831, ends 8/31 for gpus or other gpus within $25. of each other.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161412

$170.00 for the PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817159123
$60. 00 for 2 stick of memory 16gb total. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220647

Need a case? Easy, ask DrPop about Thor. ;) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053
$104 after Promo code RWCP2008, ends 8/29

I'm sure you have a hard drive lying around so I won't add that.



Total for 4 mil. cruncher
$2219.00

I think that covers it.

I'm sure there are come cost saving measure you could make to lower this a bit but hey, I'm having fun spending your money.:p

[John P. Myers]

My MSI Big Bang Marshal is sitting inside my HAF X case with 16GB RAM and a 1350W PSU. No CPU and no GPUs and is in a storage unit in Little Rock because i haven't had a job since November so i won't be building anything ;(

But! For those better off than i am, this mobo is still the king for PCIe x16 slots (Zombie67 has one also). And yes, i suppose with 8 of those 7970s i linked in the first post, you'd prolly get closer to 8-10mil/day on Dirt. I remember when i first started crunching, i don't think i had that many credits after the first year!

So, for those ready to hit the 1 billion credit milestone by the end of the year, this is where you get started :D

[Mike029]

Duh!! L-) I got sooo excited thinking about the Silver Hammer reborn. :">

[John P. Myers]

Duh!! L-) I got sooo excited thinking about the Silver Hammer reborn. :">

No no I had the Maxwell Spanker :p Maxwell had the Silver Hammer :) *sigh* ahhhh those were the days...

[zombie67]

Until now, I always just skipped over the water cooled GPUs. Don't know anything about water cooling, and it's all more expensive. But I do use the H70 for CPU cooling, now that I think about it. Is there something similar for GPU cooling, where you don't have to cobble together custom tubing and whatnot for GPUs? Also, if someone were to have 8 of those in a machine, do you have to have 8 separate cooling systems? Or do you put the tubing in serial? Or...?

[John P. Myers]

Until now, I always just skipped over the water cooled GPUs. Don't know anything about water cooling, and it's all more expensive. But I do use the H70 for CPU cooling, now that I think about it. Is there something similar for GPU cooling, where you don't have to cobble together custom tubing and whatnot for GPUs? Also, if someone were to have 8 of those in a machine, do you have to have 8 separate cooling systems? Or do you put the tubing in serial? Or...?

Serial connectors using these GPU links: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13543/ex-tub-947/XSPC_G14_Male_to_Male_Extender_-_10mm_-_Black_Chrome.html?tl=g30c101s1354 Though i wouldn't link all 8 in serial. The last one would be getting some pretty hot water for the intake :/

In the Maxwell Spanker, i didn't link the 2 590's. Instead, the liquid from the CPU went to 1 of the 590's, then to a radiator. The second 590 had it's own loop. This kept temps as low as possible.

For all-in-one GPU coolers, there's this: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1139459&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCV1-CjCE&gclid=CLz0tuPni7ICFQmpnQod4DwAtw

Or something like this: http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=12977741&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product_Ads-_-pla-_-12977741%26iprospect&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=12977741&gclid=CLe8hJjoi7ICFUyb7Qod8i4AVg

Though i dunno where you'd stick all those fans+rads for multiple cards, but they do exist.

Edit: there's also these adapters to use some Antec and Corsair CPU all-in-ones on your GPU: http://www.overclock.net/t/1237219/tript-cc-620-920-h50-h70-gpu-brackets-fan-grills-custom-case-badges#post_16860936

[zombie67]

Thanks. Do you, or one of our teammates have a machine with liquid cooled GPUs, that could post some pictures? Also, where does one buy all the misc tubing, connectors, radiators, etc? I looked around newegg, but didn't really find anything. I assume there is some sort of spec standard, that everyone uses?

[John P. Myers]

Thanks. Do you, or one of our teammates have a machine with liquid cooled GPUs, that could post some pictures? Also, where does one buy all the misc tubing, connectors, radiators, etc? I looked around newegg, but didn't really find anything. I assume there is some sort of spec standard, that everyone uses?

Yeah sadly Newegg is kinda poor on liquid cooling. www.performance-pcs.com is my personal choice, though www.frozencpu.com is decent as well. Literally hundreds and hundreds of liquid cooling parts. Anything you could possibly ever need, they'll have it.

Some pictures here: http://www.setiusa.us/showthread.php?200-Maxwell-Spanker-vs-Silver-Hammer-vs-Annihilatrix-pt-2&p=13865&viewfull=1#post13865 though squinting may be required since my camera was shit :/

[Duke of Buckingham]

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u90693/15_completeloop_full.jpg
http://img.tomshardware.com/us/2005/08/24/water_cooling_your_system_like_the_pros/aac-gpu.jpg
http://img.tomshardware.com/us/2008/04/04/first_look_at_asetek_s_9800gx2_waterblock_water_co oling_for_the_masses/asetek_blackbird002_9800gx2.jpg
http://www.digitalstormonline.com/flashgallery/SILVER06.jpg
http://www.thelabbench.com/images/articles/cbp_liquid_side.JPG

There are so many Z.

[zombie67]

Thanks for the pictures guys. It looks like all the tubes go into the drive bays in the top front part of the chassis. Why is that? I thought they would go to radiators, attached to fans?

Edit: I think I need a diagram or something.

[John P. Myers]

Thanks for the pictures guys. It looks like all the tubes go into the drive bays in the top front part of the chassis. Why is that? I thought they would go to radiators, attached to fans?

Edit: I think I need a diagram or something.

Many people put the reservoir and pump in the drive bays. It's most commonly the emptiest place inside the case with plenty of working room. Reservoirs specially made to be installed in your drive bays are pretty common, such as these: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59_318_665

I designed my system to not use a reservoir. Instead i modded the HAF X and installed a filler port on top (similar to this) (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=27703). The length of tubing from the port to the T junction acted as my reservoir.

[zombie67]

Ah! So that is just reservoir and pump stuff. The fans are elsewhere. Got it.

I am learning now that this liquid cooling stuff is all completely custom stuff. The components are out there for just about anything. But you need to design each installation from the ground up with each box, based on a number of variables. Is there such a thing as a liquid cooling "calculator"? For example, you put in the items and quantities of things you need to cool, the amount of OC you are planning on, and it spits out the specs? Things like tubing size, radiators, pumps, fans, and tubing flow chart?

FWIW, I decided several builds ago that all my boxes will be HAF-X. I don't care about the size or cost. I just want the biggest, easiest, with the most options. No more messing around with trying to squeeze crap into a cheap box, and ending up with frustration, evil thoughts, and sliced hands. It is going to take up a relatively similar footprint, regardless. So why not have space to work? And it also has nice big fans and holes for tubing if needed.

[John P. Myers]

Ah! So that is just reservoir and pump stuff. The fans are elsewhere. Got it.

I am learning now that this liquid cooling stuff is all completely custom stuff. The components are out there for just about anything. But you need to design each installation from the ground up with each box, based on a number of variables. Is there such a thing as a liquid cooling "calculator"? For example, you put in the items and quantities of things you need to cool, the amount of OC you are planning on, and it spits out the specs? Things like tubing size, radiators, pumps, fans, and tubing flow chart?


Yep it's completely custom. Even if you gave 2 ppl the exact same computers, the results would be different on each. Personal preference is also a large part of it. There are no calculators that i know of due to this. The closest thing i've ever seen is a chart (don't remember where) that basically said "if you're cooling x components" then use "this size of radiator", which is still very useless for multi-radiator systems like mine was/is. I used a 3x120mm rad for the CPU (though a 2x120mm is enough, even when OCing. It's just what i had on hand) and a 9x140mm radiator (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_457_458&products_id=30141) for the 2 GTX 590s. Yes, that is overkill, but at the time i had planned on a future expansion to 4 GTX 590s. I mounted it to the outside of the HAF X. Bastard weighs 17 pounds empty and with no fans. With no more heavy GPUs in the case it falls over very easily :p

Anyway, a 2x120mm rad with a decent fan, such as the one Corsair includes with their H80, is enough for a single GPU card. A 3x120 should work for a dual card or OCing a high-end single card. A 2x120 is enough for a highly OC'd high-end CPU, or even a 1x140mm. The quality of your fans is the most important factor. The higher the static pressure (preferably 6 mm/H2O or more), the better.

A 3x120 is also good enough for 1 CPU and 1 GPU.

As for tubing, i only use 1/2 inch ID because the best pump in the world (imo, though it's likely a also a fact :p ) has 1/2" inlets/outlets. The Swiftech MCP655, of course. Only 1 moving part - the impeller, which floats on a ceramic coated pin - can last seemingly forever. And at 50 PSI, you could run 2 GPUs, a CPU, and various other things like RAM and Mosfet cooling all in the same loop, though i've never personally bothered with liquid RAM or Mosfet cooling. The OD of the tubing should never be less than 3/4" when using 1/2" ID. Otherwise the hose won't be strong enough to handle the pressure from the pump.

[zombie67]

Thanks. Especially for all the details. Really!

I have learned that I kinda need an engineering degree to work out the thermal dynamics, for what is needed vs. waste of money. I work with engineers who do nothing but this stuff (with air), and have learned that even with all their school and experience, it's really part science and part voodoo. They have a good idea about how things should, and usually do, work out. But the chamber testing sometimes surprises even them.

So I think I will stick with the stock GPUs, and the closed liquid CPU solutions.

Frankly I am not sure how I would power a machine with more than 4 top-end GPUs anyway. Circuits breaking and all that.

[Fire$torm]

Hmmm looks like I'm late to the party....

Z, just in case you are still interested there is another closed loop GPU cooler on the market. Its the Arctic Cooling Accelero Hybrid.

AC Product page (Link (http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/569/accelero-hybrid.html?c=2182))
Newegg (Current lowest price per Google) $169.99 w/ Free Shipping (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186067)
OverClock.net Review (Link (http://www.overclock.net/t/1294303/review-arctic-cooling-accelero-hybrid))


Edit:
@JPM: Great find on those custom brackets. :-bd Thanks for the links.

Edit #2: Arctic Cooling now offers the Accelero Hybrid 7970 (Link (http://www.vortez.net/news_printer/arctic_extends_accelero_hybrid_compatibility_to_79 70.html))